Releasable slip-socket fishing tool



J. E. TRIPLETT RELEASABLE SLIP SOCKET FISHING TOOL Filed Sept. 2, 1924 2Sheets-Slxeel'l l irre/wmv,

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J. B. TRIPLETT RELEASABLE SLIP SOCKET FISHING TOOL Filed Sept. 2, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Peieaieoei. s, iene.

attain JAMES B. TRIP'LETT, 0F LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

BELEASBLE SLIP-SOCKET FISHING TOOL.

Application filed September 2, 1924.. Serial No. 735,331.

My present invention is a slip-socket lishing tool in which means areprovided permitting the release of a sli engaged thereby, in case thesame is too firmly lodged for immediate removal.

-It is an object of this invention to provide a fishin tool comprisingsli s, which may be resi iently connected an may be automatically spreadwithin predetermined limits to engage a fish (such as the threaded pinon the up er end of a drilling tool) and whose grip s all beautomatically tightened by the lifting of the string of pipe. to whichthe same may be secured, but which shall nevertheless be associated withmeans whereby the direct lowering of said string, subsequently to even aslight lifting of the same, shall permit the disengagement of a fishtherefrom.

An advantageous embodiment of my 1nvention, in which the slips arereleasable by a longitudinal or axial movement of the supporting string,may comprise slips resiliently interconnected by means of a collar andhoused in a substantially cylindrical shell, the latter being preferablysecured to a special sub and provided with inclined slipengagin surfaceswithin its lower end; and said shelgl may house not/only the mentionedslips but also novel control means, including springs and dous disposedabout a central rod, which mayne provided at its upper end with aslotted head and at its lower end with a pin-and-slot connection to thementioned collar, said control means causing either the enga ement orthe release of a fish, as hereina er described. v

Other objects of my invention will be understood from the followingdescription of an advantageous embodiment thereof, taken -in connectionwith the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which,

Fi 1 is, for the most part, a median longitudinal section through afishing tool illustrating my invention and showing my device as set, inreadiness for the engagement of a fish.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the slips as held in a releasingor non-gripping position. I

Fig. 3 is a self-explanatory detail view showing a preferredconstruction and arrangement of slips relatively to a collar from whichthey are resiliently supported by means of a slotted rod.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken li'bstfntially as indicatedby the line 4--4 of Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, on anintermediate scale, taken substantially as indicated by the line 5 5 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of a setting dog and associated parts,as hereinafter described.

Referring to the details of that specific enibodiment of my inventionchosen for purposes of illustration, 11 may be a slip-enclosing shell,in the upper end of which a plug 12 is shown as secured by threadedengagement of said shell withy a special sub 13, the plug 12 beinlglshown as held between said sub and a s oulder S in said shell. Extendinginto a central bore of the plug 12, and optionally also into acorresponding cavity in the sub 13, is shown the head 14 of a rod ormandrel R, this head, or its equivalent, being provided with acircumferential slot or channel `15, for engagement by control dogs, ashereinafter set forth.

Qn the lower end of the mandrel R, slips 16, orv their equivalent, maybe secured, as by means of a pin P, which may extend through a slot 17in the rod R and also` through a collar 18, with which the slips areshown as resiliently connected by means of integral springs. Bearingagainst the tops of theslips 16 is shown a depressing devicecomprising'a cup 19, which may be forced thereagainst by means such as acompression spring 20, shown as confined between the cup 19 and the plug12.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, I may provide a setting1 dog 22 with' acompression spring 23, s own as confined between a flange 23 on said dogand a seat 23, formed on the plug 12; and I may provide also a releasingdog 24, or its equivalent, the releasing Idog shown being by a spring24', and optionally provided with a retrieving eye 24 accessible throughpressed inwardly openings 25, 25', provided respectively in the shelll11 and in a retaining button 25, which may be threaded into the plug12A When the device is to be set by bringing the parts into thepositions shown in Fig. 1, in readiness for lowering to the bottom of awell containing a Ifish, the rod or mana .drel R may be forceddownwardly against the action of a retracting compression s pring 26, orits equivalent whose tendency 1s opposed to that of the mentioned sprlng20,

-and the setting dog may be forced inwardly against the action of thespring 23, so as to enter the channel or slot 15 provided in the head14. The dog 22 is then held in place by the co-action of a lip 27,formed thereon, and a lip 28,- formed by the undercutting of the channelor slot l5,-an opening 29 being shown as provided through the shell 11,or its equivalent, to permit the application of an inward pressure uponthe outer end of the setting dog 22, to set the same. To preventaccldental entrance of foreign matter therethrough, the holes 25 and 29,may be closed by means of suitable plugs, or the like, not shown.

When the above mentioned parts are 1n the indicated ositio-ns, the slips16 are intended to rest oosel within the conical face 30 of the shell11, ut they are not in any way constricted thereby,-their clearancebeing preferably such as to permit either 1nward oroutward relativemovement, within the bowl. p

In use, this tool, when set, is intended to be lowered so that, forexample,the threadedportion 31 of a lost bit may be directed between theslips 16, as by a lower conical fac-e 32, shown as also provided uponthe shell 11. The end 3l of the lost bit may then force the slipsrelatively upward, against the action of the spring 20 or itsequivalent, for a distance equivalent to the length of the slot 17, atthe same time expanding the same. The slips are thus forced into thelarger bore, above the inclined face 36, and in which they are allowedto eX- pand, somewhat as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the fish31 being wedged "therebetween.

The next operation is a lifting of the string of tubing. This results inan upward movement of the shell 11 and the plug 12 relatively to theother parts of the device; and this upward movement immediately releasesthe setting dog 22, which moves outwardly to permit a relative movementbetween the plug 12 and the rod or mandrel R. The slips 16 are, as aconsequence of this relative movement and of their con- Y sequentcontact with the inclined face 30,

forced into a firm gripping engagement with the fish 31. The tool maythen bring the fish to the surface. If, however, the fish is so firmlylodged that it cannot be elevated, the string is again lowered; and thissecond lowering, the setting dog 22 being held in retracted position bythe spring 23, moves vthe shell and plug relatively to the other partsof the device suiiiciently 'to cause the slot 15 to be engaged by theupper releasing dog 24, which thenholds the rod-or mandrel R, andthereby thel slips 16, in an elevated and releasing or nongrippingposition, substantially as indicated in Flg.` 2. This position may be,for example, one and a half inches above that in which the slips restwhen in a fish-retaining position. The jaws of the slips, when in thisreleased position, are so free to move outward that they allow theslips, and the entire device, to be vfreed from engagement with the fishand to be elevated to the surface of the well. i y

Although I have herein described a single complete embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that various features thereof might beindependently employed and also that various modifications might bemade, by those skilled in the art, without the slightest departure fromthe spirit and scope of my invention as the same is indicated above andin the following claims.

For example, my tool can be employed in the recovery of either rotary orstandard tools, as used in deep oil well drilling; and it can be madewith slips and a shell or bowl elongated to any desired degree, adaptingthe same to go over a tool of any specified length,-or even over ahalf-length of pipe (such as may resultfrom a twist-olf in rotarydrilling) to take a grip over a coupling at the lower end thereof. I mayalso provide any usual or preferred means for pre-- venting relativerotation between the slips 16 and the surrounding bowl, therebyladaptingthe organization to be used alternatively as a backing-off tool.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fishing tool comprising: a slip-enclosing element; slips movablerelatively thereto into either a fish-retaining or a fish-releasingposition; a mandrel, secured to said slips by means permitting limitedrelative movement between said slips and said mandrel, said mandrelbeing movable within said slipenclosing element; means tending to movesaid mandrel simultaneously in opposite directions, said means includinga pluralit of spiral springs surrounding said man rel;

3. An organization as defined in claim 1 in which said slips areresiliently connected and provided with resilient means for theirdepression relatively to said slip-enclosing element. i

a dog, operable upon the axial depression of said slip-enclosingelement, to hold said slips in a fish-releasing position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 19 my hand at Los Angeles,26th day of August 1924.

JAMES B. TRIPLETT.

California, this

